Getting FAFSA SAI score but waiting weeks for financial aid package from school - normal timeline?

same boat. got SAI 3 wks ago, still waiting. its ridiculous they expect us to commit w/o knowing if we can afford it lol

The timeline varies significantly between schools. Some universities send aid packages within a week of receiving your SAI, while others might take 3-4 weeks. Keep in mind that schools are processing thousands of applications right now. If you're approaching your decision deadline, I strongly recommend calling your school's financial aid office directly. They can often tell you where your application stands in their process.

This whole system is BROKEN!!! They expect us to commit thousands of dollars without even knowing how much aid we'll get?? I went through this last year and my daughter's school didn't send her package until TWO DAYS before the deadline. We nearly put a deposit down at her second choice because of this. Call them EVERY DAY until they give you answers. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these financial aid offices!!

my cousin works in financial aid at a small college. she says they're drowning in applications right now because the new fafsa was delayed. so everyone is behind schedule this year

When I was waiting for my aid package last year, I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone. The financial aid office kept putting me on hold for 45+ minutes and then disconnecting me. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to them and it saved me so much frustration. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and call you when a real person answers. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. I was able to find out my package was delayed because they needed an additional tax document they never told me about! Might be worth trying if you can't get through normally.

At my school we got the SAI and then an email saying we wouldn't get packages until April 15th at the earliest. Which is ridiculous since the decision deadline is May 1st. I wonder if schools are going to extend their deadlines with all the FAFSA delays this year?

Just a quick update on typical timelines for anyone else finding this thread: From my experience working with students this cycle, most schools are taking 2-3 weeks from SAI receipt to package delivery. However, some selective private universities are taking 3-4 weeks due to their more complex packaging process that includes institutional aid calculations. Public universities are generally faster (1-2 weeks) as they have more standardized packaging formulas. If you submitted any verification documents, add another week to these estimates.

If you need to make a decision soon, there's a specific approach that works well with financial aid offices. Call and explain that you're very interested in attending their school, but you need your aid package to make your final decision before the deadline. Ask if they can give you an estimate based on your SAI while you wait for the official package. Many schools can provide a rough estimate of your federal aid based just on your SAI score. This won't include any merit scholarships or institutional grants, but it gives you at least a partial picture to work with.

anyone else notice how the FAFSA changes this year screwed everything up? i heard some schools aren't even requiring SAI for early packages...they're just estimating and will adjust later

UPDATE: I finally called my school's financial aid office this morning! They told me they're processing applications in the order received and mine should be ready within the next 7-10 days. They also said they're aware of the May 1st deadline and are prioritizing packages for undecided students. The woman I spoke with was actually super helpful and took my name down to flag my application for priority processing since I mentioned I'm waiting on the package to make my decision. Thanks everyone for the advice to call directly!